Dispensing boxes and methods and means for manufacture thereof

ABSTRACT

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING A CONTAINER HAVING A TAB PROJECTING DOWNWARD FROM AN UPSTANDING FLAP DEFINED BY PARTLY-PENETRATING PERFORATIONS FOLLOWING AN INVERTED U-SHAPED CUT MADE IN THE WALL OF THE CONTAINER.

p 20, 1971 M. M. STERNAU DISPENSING BOXES AND METHODS AND MEANS FORMANUFACTURE THEREOF Original Filed Oct. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F|G.l

FOZO/A G ,4 PPAPA 72/5 'IIIIIIIIII FIG.6

Sept. 20, 1971 3,605,578

DISPENSING BOXES AND METHODS AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURE THEREOF OriginalFiled Oct. 21, 1966 M. M; STERNAU 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent3,605,578 DISPENSING BOXES AND METHODS AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURE THEREOFMartin M. Sternau, Flushing, N.Y., assignor of fractional part interestto Leo Stanger, Summit, NJ.

Original application Oct. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 593,611, now

Patent No. 3,484,034, dated Dec. 16, 1969. Divided and this applicationNov. 10, 1969, Ser. No. 871,315

Int. Cl. B311) 49/02, 1/14, 1/90 US. Cl. 93--39R 9 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE Methods and apparatus for making a container having a tabprojecting downward from an upstanding flap defined bypartly-penetrating perforations following an inverted U-shape cut madein the wall of the container.

This is a division of Ser. No. 593,611, filed Oct. 21, 1966, now Pat.No. 3,484,034.

This invention relates to boxes for dispensing granular material andparticularly to such boxes as dispense granular material through a spoutthat is opened with a tab as illustrated in US. Pat No. 3,237,835 issuedMar. 1, 1966.

Such channel-shaped spouts have tabs projecting from the center portionof the channel so that a user by grasping the tab can open and close thebox by operating the spout. These spouts assure sanitary handling of thespout. However, they frequently permit the granular material to siftthrough slits formed in the box when the spout is manufactured,especially at points where the channel passes into the box. Moreoverboxes with such spouts are diflicult to manufacture. Such spouts arealso sometimes difiicult to open and put a strain on the tab.

An object of this invention is to improve boxes for dispensing granularmaterials.

Another object is to improve methods and means for manufacturing suchboxes.

Still another object is to eliminate the above mentioned deficiencies ofsuch boxes and their manufacturing methods.

' Yet another object is to avoid undesired sifting of material from suchboxes and simplify manufacturing procedures for such boxes.

Still another object is to minimize the effort to open the spout and tominimize the strain on the tab.

To these ends, and according to a feature of the invention, a box forpouring granular material is completed by attaching the center portionof a channel-shaped spout member to the inside of the box, perforatingthe box about three sides of the center portion of the channelshapedspout, and within the perforated area cutting a tab which a user cangrasp. By pushing in the perforated area a user can form aspout-carrying, hinged flap which he can pull out of the box by the tab.Preferably the perforations penetrate the box only partially and glueattaches the spout member to the flap. This keeps the box completelyintact during shipping. Preferably the perforations are aligned in theshape of an arch so as to conform to a thumb or finger shape that pushesin the perforated area.

According to another feature of the invention, the tab forms a U-shapeextending in a direction opposite to the arch of the flap. The tab thenhinges as far as possible away from the fiap hinge. This reduces theforce and hence strain on the tab required to open the flap and spout.

According to still another feature of the invention the spout member isapplied to the box after the latter is folded while at the same time theperforation and tab are 3,605,578 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 cut. This isdone according to other features of the invention with a plier likedevice or with a pair of mated and moving drums, one carrying the spoutmember and the other carrying a cutting tool. According to still anotherfeature of the invention a staple is simultaneously added whileattaching the spout member.

Those and other features of the invention are pointed out in the claims.Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description of embodiments of the invention when read in lightof the accompanying drawings wherein:

'FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a box with a spout, embodyingfeatures. of the invention and showing the spout in open position;

FIG. 2 is section of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial section of the box in FIG. 1 showing the spoutbefore the box is opened and used;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective of the box shown by the section of FIG.3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the interior of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective partly schematic view of an apparatus embodyingfeatures of the invention for manufacturing the box of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a detail of the apparatus in FIG.6;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are schematic representations of another apparatus, shownin two positions, for manufacturing the box of FIG. 1 according to theinvention;

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are partial plan, front elevation, and sideelevation views respectively of another embodiment of the box in FIG. 1;and

FIG. 13 is a partial section showing an apparatus, embodying features ofthe invention, for manufacturing the box of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a rectangular cardboard box or carton 10,containing material tobe poured, integrally carries an arch shaped flap12 hinged outwardly along a line 14 on a sideface '16. The flap 12 istorn from the sideface 16 along perforations and leaves an arch shapedopening 18. Glued to the interior face of the flap 12 is the centersection 20 of a chute-shaped channel 22 integrally possessing sectorlike wings 24 and 26 extending through the opening 18 into the box 10.The channel 22 may be made from cardboard, metal, paper or plastic, suchas polyethylene with sufiicient resilience to bias the wings 24 and 26against the vertical edges of the opening 18. The invention alsocontemplates a pair of vertical slits extending upwardly from verticaledges of the opening 18 and aligned with these edges. The slits receivethe circular edges of the Wings 24 and 26 to guide them near theirperipheries so as to maintain their angular orientation relative to thecentral portion 20 as the flap 16 and channel 22 are articulated aboutline 14. The wings 24 and 26 may also be kept against the vertical edgedby bosses that extend into the channel from the box 10. Extendingdownwardly and integrally from the central section 20 and also securedagainst the interior of sideface 16 is a rectangular reinforcing strip28. Stops 30 and 32 at the ends of respective wings 24 and 26 define theextent to which the flap 12 and channel 22 may be articulated out-ward.An extension 34 of the central portion can be bent inwardly to serve asa locking means for keeping the flap 12 closed.

Projecting integrally from the flap 12 is. a tab 38. The latter isformed 'by cutting a tongue shaped tab in the flap and bending itoutwardly to articulate the spout assembly formed by the flap 12 and thechute-shaped channel 22 about the hinge line 14 against and toward thebox 10'. A user grasps the tab 38 and either pulls or pushes accordingto the desired movement. The spout assembly may be completely closed bypushing the extension 34 into the opening 18 locking the spout assemblyas shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 shows the box 10' with the spout assemblyopen.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the box before it is opened. Perforations 40 extendpartly through the sideface 16 along the arch that defines the flap 12.For simplicity in assembly the channel 11 appears unfolded flat againstthe interior of the sideface 16 in butterfly fashion. The channel 22 isweakened along lines 42 to establish fold lines.

A user of a new box first lifts the cut-out downwardly extending tab 38to permit its being grasped and make it assume an outward position. Theuser then presses inwardly with a finger or preferably a thumb againstthe flap portion outlined 'by the perforations whose arch alignmentconforms approximately to the thumb shape until the material breaksalong the perforations 40 and forms the flap 12 as Well as the opening18. The user now grasps the inwardly leaning flap, which carries thechute-shaped channel, by means of the tab 38 and pulls the flap andspout assembly outward into the desired position. During this outwardmovement the flat-lying wings 24 and 26 shown in FIG. 5 as they aredrawn outwardly against the vertical edges of opening 18 fold along theweakened lines 42 into the shape in FIG. 1. The resilience of thechannel 22 keeps the wings 24 and 26 biased against these verticaledges. If necessary the user can guide or snap the circular portion ofwings 24 and 26 into suitable slits in the box sideface 16 When a userpulls the spout assembly with its wings 24 and 26 folded and biasedagainst the vertical edges of opening 18: to the position of FIG. 1, box10* can be tilted and the contents poured.

The box 10 with the spout assembly can be manufactured by horizontallypassing flat cardboard stock, with glue applied to the tflap area 18,past a horizontal-axis drum that pneumatically picks up individually cutand weakened spout blanks and "by rotating presses them against theglued area. The box is then cut to shape, folded and glued. Preferablythe wingspan of the channel 22, that is the total overall fiat width ofthe channel 22 is less than the interior width of sideface 16. Such amethod corresponds to that shown in copending application Ser. No.563,508 filed July 7, 1966. However here it is unnecessary to pass a tabthrough a slot during application of the channel. By making the channelwingspan shorter than the interior box width the channel can remain flatas in FIG. 5 when the box is folded. Otherwise the spout blanks must beat least partly folded along lines 42 before the box 10 is folded.

According to the invention the spout blank may be applied after foldingand gluing the box 10.

This is accomplished as shown in FIG. 6. Here the box is folded andglued in the folding apparatus 49, then a plier shaped applicator 50presses a glue-carrying spout blank 52 held on its inner arm 54 againstthe interior surface of the sideface 16 on the box 10. A cutting block56 at the end of the arm 58 presses against the outside. The block 56,whose details appear in FIG. 7, cuts the tab 38 with a U-shaped knifeprojection 60 and forms the arch-aligned perforations 40 by means ofconical points 62, that are long enough only to penetrate partly intothe sideface 16.

The applicator 50 is automatically opened and closed as well as moved upand down to grasp successive boxes 10 by vertically reciprocatingmachinery 64. The latter is time-coupled to a suitableintermittently-moving belt 66 that stops each successive box 10 beneaththe applicator 50. For improved adhesion of the channel, glue heatingmeans in the arm 54 can be added.

The channel 22 may also be applied after folding the box in apparatus49, by means of two drums 70 and 72 that roll back and forth between thepositions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 as a box 10 stops in its intermittentlateral movement on a belt (not shown). A pneumatically energized bore74 draws a blank for the channel 22 into a mating recess 76 from a stock78 of blanks. A glue applicator 80 applies glue to the center section 20of the channel 22 as the drum 70' rolls past it. The drum 70 applies thechannel when it reaches the position of FIG. 9 and the pneumatic drawingpower in the bore 74 releases the blank. A cutting block 82 having aconcave surface but otherwise corresponding to the block 56 of FIG. 7cuts the perforations 40 and the tab 3-8 outline. For improved adhesionof the channel to the box the drum 70 possesses glue heating means.

The invention furnishes a box which holds granular material without thedanger of material sitting out.

The invention also contemplates applying a reinforcing staple 83: asshown in FIGS. 10, l1 and l2. This is accomplished by apparatus similarto FIG. 9. A stapler-arm opening 84 and a U-shaped stapler-stack tunnel86 is added in the block 56 of FIG. 7. The staple application isaccomplished with application of the channel 22 as shown in FIG. 13. Aspring 88 forces a staple stack down into the path of a stapler arm 90that drives the lower staple through the box 10 and channel 22 into astaple-closing recess 92. The arm 90 is also operated by the apparatus64.

While embodiments of the invention have been shown in detail it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from its spirit and scope.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for making a container comprising means for folding thecontainer, spout applicator means for applying a spout, said spoutapplicator means including a perforating block having a plurality ofprojections aligned in a U-shape for partly entering the container andhaving a U-shaped cutting edge within the aligned projection forsimultaneously cutting a tab, said applicator means also including meansfor carrying a spout blank into the partly formed container and securingit into the container opposite said cutting block.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said applicator means include a plierlike device having two arms one of which carries said perforating blockand remains outside of said container and the other of which enters thecontainer securing said blank.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said applicator means include a pairof rolls one of which carries said perforating block and remains outsideof said container and the other of which enters the container forsecuring said blank.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said applicator means include astapling device for securing said spout blank to said Wall.

5. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said applicator means includes athird arm and means in the one of said two arms on the outside of saidcontainer for holding staples and wherein said third arm passes throughthe arm outside said container and through said block for drivingstaples through said spout blank and through the wall in said container.

6. The method of manufacturing a carton which comprises folding thecarton into its shape, simultaneously applying to the inner portion ofone wall of said carton a spout blank and to the outside a cutting blockhaving a U-shaped line of perforating projections and a U-shaped cuttingedge in the line of projections, and pressing said blank and said blocktogether against said wall until said cutting edge penetrates the wallbut said projections penetrate only partially while securing said blankto said wall.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein said blank is glued to the wall whenit is pressed.

8. The method as in claim 4 wherein said blank is stapled to the wallwhile said block and said blank are pressed against the wall.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein said blank is glued as well asstapled. to the wall.

(References on following page) 6 References Cited 2,998,788 9/1961 Back"112-1 3,025,813 3/1962 Klausmann 11 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,258,3756/1966 Ames 93 -39 2/1916 Howell 22721 3,381,645 /1968- Klausmann 113-15/1940 Ho hersa ll 9 X 5 3,385,248 5/1968 Klausmann 113 1 10/1940Brucker 93-36 3,398,657 8/196-8 Saucier 93-36 11/1944 Hothersall 227 31952 Brucker 113 1 WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Primary Examiner 10/1953Klausmann 113--1 12/1953 Fischer 93-36 10 1/1957 Moore 93-39): 11/1958Klausmann 113-1 22721

